LeftWinger

Neil playing, Ott not....

Just saying....Ott, as in Steve, is taking warm-ups. Something tells me we'll never know...

Not unless he says to other(s) team, do not acquire me, because I will not sign.

That's asking a lot. I think Holland should be on the hot seat as well. I don't want to see them fail, trust me, but is that what its going to take? If that's the case, we need to be out by January then. Be out be January, have a sale, keep some vets, deal away others, keep most kids, deal away others to upgrade. Collect tons of draft picks, that then can maybe be turned into trade assets as well. I want to make the playoffs, but I also want to stop this insanity of these middling players. We're only going to lose one for sure come expansion. Basically our 12th best player. Who that is? Dunno, but it'll be a start. We must, MUST rid ourselves of at LEAST 3 larger contracts over the summer (or at deadline.) IMO, those 3 are Ericsson, Howard and one of Nyquist or Tatar.

They won't happen because Blashill feels he has to have a "piano puller" on each line. Forget loading your top 6 with everyone who is a scoring threat and just overwhelming the other team. Even in the lines I put up, the 3rd can be a pain in the ass to teams. I am willing to bet Tatar - Nielsen - Vanek would be killer. If Z must play, I also like putting him and Larkin back together, and now add the speed and skill of AA? Just having Larkin and AA on the same line would be deadly. I wish upon wishes, that if we're not trading Mantha, that we'd see those 3 together.

Jeff Blashill is no Scotty Bowman. Ken Holland is no Scotty Bowman. When Bowman was here, he ran this team. He told Holland, I need this guy, Holland asked how fast? Since Bowman left the organization, Holland has had full control of this team and look at where it has gotten us. If Bowman were still here, trades would be made. Holland is too afraid that if he trades away a player, all of a sudden the player becomes a stud and we don't have them anymore. I will mention Helm once here, I get that he is fast and a pretty good PK'er, but what was the urgency to re-sign him? If we had lost him, it wouldn't had been the end of the world. But Kenny thinks so. Hey this guy was good for us at one time, if I give him what he wants, maybe he'll be good again. It doesn't work that way. Look at all the recent Cup winners, they ALL made hard moves to improve their team in areas of need. How many folks laughed at Kessel going to Pit? What about when LA acquire Richards and Carter? How about Chicago and all the moves they make what seems like every year? I love the lore of the streak, but damn it, I hate that it might end because Holland refuses to try and upgrade his team. If he made the moves (lets say got Trouba and Fowler) and we still missed, well, at least he tried to make his team better, and they'll get even better next year, but no, we have to accept overpaid mediocre players for 5, 6, 7, 8 years, broken down players that he can't do anything with and a coach who can't seem to understand that you cannot force a bottom 6 player into a top 6 role. and yes, I know he has inquired about these players, but he doesn't seem to have any good counter offers...they ask for Larkin, he says Pulkkinen, they laugh and say can you do better? Click. Holland has got to get in his head that you may have to move some more valuable players to get what you need. Nobody in the hockey world expects Larkin to be dealt for Trouba, that'd be like asking Buffalo for Eichel. But other options are out there. Mantha was dangled for Phanuef, but Phanuef didn't want to come here (imagine that) so why not dangle him for Fowler or Trouba? Or some other higher end D-Man?

Embarrassed in Florida...no Sproul and no Ott... Loss. When is Blashill going to have the revelation that Ericsson is hot garbage and doesn't even do the word "pylon" any justice? I am still for MIller sitting for Ott as well. Here's Blashill's philosophy....play ok, lose, make lineup changes, get embarrassed, lose worse, keep same lineup. I'm beginning to believe Blashill was a mistake. Also he is trying to force Sheahan to be a scorer, when he is not. He is a bottom 6 guy, stop with the whole "piano mover" ideology bulls***. Your best player thus far is buried on the 3rd line. Tatar - Nielsen - Vanek Zetterberg - Larkin - Athanasiou Nyquist - Helm - Abdelkader Sheahan - Glendening - Ott It is so simple.

interesting stuff. The Bieska idea was tossed around a little bit by a hockey writer, but that involved them taking Ericsson off our hands, and since then we've learned that Anaheim doesn't want salary (too much) back, I'd say that idea is not happening. It had BOTH Fowler and Bieska coming here. The NMC clause would have to be wiaved, which them allows the acquiring team to not have to honor it anymore. Thus being able to leave him unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft. We'd still need to dump a ton of salary, even if they accepted Nyquist. Interesting about LIndholm too. December 1st is coming up, from what I understand if Trouba or Lindholm aren't signed by then, that's it for the season. You have to wonder, at what point do these teams start dropping the price from a business standpoint. I am sure Anaheim does not want to have to use a protect on Bieska, maybe they package him with Fowler (or Stoner) in a trade that brings them a winger that can score 25-35 goals that is in the $4M to $5M range...

The season is young, but I did say i felt Vanek was going to surprise a lot of folks. No way of knowing for sure, but I had high hopes for him. So far, so good! I'll take the 41 goal pace! In the crappy start, he has been a light. Nielsen also, what's he have 2 points in the two games?

We said the same thing about Helm...he's gonna leave. Smith will just tell Holland he has multiple offers but he'll stay here for a discount and a larger role...and the Holland will panic and sign him. Just like Helm, just like Quincey. I hope not..but history has been written.

Teams will evaluate at the 10 game mark. We can hope WPG has offensive woes and decide they'd like to upgrade their fwd corps. Offer them Tatar, Nyquist, XO and a 1st for Trouba and a 3rd. Now you can trade with Ana without sending a huge amount of salary back. You bring Mantha back up and keep AA in permanently as well.

Let's do our best not to turn this thread into name calling and crying about players ( I know, coming from me that is nuts, eh?) But when the trade was made (Datsyuk) most of us loved it because it 99% meant Holland was going to go after Stamkos hard and most folks like the Cholowski pick. But when Stamkos didn't even give us an opportunity to woo him, it all kinda felt like salt being rubbed in our wound or not being able to draft Chychrun. You're right though, there is really no need to take it out on Cholowski, or Holland for that matter, for I truly believe he thought he had a shot to sign Stamkos. But, when that all fell apart, he resorted back to the old Holland, throwing contract around to his own UFA's in order to not lose out on too many people. I truly beleive that if Stamkos would've signed here, Helm would not be here. Obviously Nielsen wouldn't, but I do believe he still would've given Vanek and Ott the contracts. Dekeyser would've gotten less, and he may have tried harder to trade Howard during the summer. That's not Cholowski's fault, but I do blame Holland for showing desperation and throwing that contract to Helm, without waiting to see what else presented itself. If we happened to lose Helm, then all would not have been lost, because as alluded to earlier, AA has every bit of speed of Helm PLUS has a scoring touch. Blame Holland for this debacle...and in a way, blame to people who do a poor job of selling our beautiful city and it surrounding area's, because if nobody has ever lived here, or visited outside of just playing hockey here, they really don't know how great of a place it is to live. I've since moved away, but I spent 42 years here.

That would work ONLY if Kronwall qualifies for LTIR and Holland would waive Ericsson. I don't like the idea of trading Mrazek, but at this moment, Trouba is very VERY important to acquire. If Holland and Co. had enough faith in Jimmy and that Coreau would be good enough to become our #1 after Jimmy, then I could see it as an option. You'd also be able to give Trouba top dollar now, as long as E was waived and Kronwall went to LTIR. I honestly don't see any of Ott, Miller or E getting waived...although I'd enjoy not having E's salary on this team.

This is somewhere Trouba would love to play, not only because of hometown, but he would step right into the role he is looking for. Hands down the #1 guy on the right hand side. That being said, he may be looking for $5.5M, but much like Kucherov in tampa, I could see Jake signing a small bridge deal, 1-2 yrs at a lessor rate in order to fit under whatever cap space they make for him. Knowing that after the deal, he will get his 8 year $6M+ contract in the prime of his career. There are simple ways of clearing space. You dump the players for what little you can get, or simply just waive them. Sure, you don't dump all their salary, but it does give you some relief to where you have just enough space. If you're lucky someone snags them up for free for a gamble. Right now, if they cannot be traded, I would waive both Ericsson and Howard. You'd have to bring up Coreau or Pasquale, but you'd have nearly $2M in cap space, then you could deal away a couple of assets for Trouba and/or Fowler. It sounds like it would be hard, but it can be done. Ideally you could trade away cap, but if Holland had to, he could get it all worked under the cap. Heck, if WPG keeps struggling on the O side, they just might want to take someone like Nyquist or Tatar off our hands.

If we could just somehow trade away salary to some other teams for virtually nothing upwards of a 6th or 7th pick in return, we cold then seriously negotiate with Anaheim and Winnipeg. I believe, if Anaheim isn't looking for salary, they may just take a shot on a pick and maybe Jurco plus a prospect. We are desperate to gain a D-man, but I think they are more desperate to trade one. Problem would be, other teams. Even for Fowler there may end up being a bidding war...although, it has been known for a while now that he most likely would be dealt. December 1st is coming soon, that is when RFA's can no longer negotiate and re-sign. Both Trouba and Fowler will have to be dealt with by then.

For sure. I'd still hesitate on trading AA though. For all the folks that herald Helm, do so because of his speed. Which I agree is valuable, but AA not only has that speed, he has hands to go with it. I think if I'm picking 2 forwards to not trade, its Larkin and AA. Those are your top two centers for the long haul. Nielsen has 6 years, sure, but AA and Larkin could be 15-20 yrs. I know DD hasn't looked great thus far, but we all know he's not a top guy anyhow, and probably (much like Kronwall) slots in better as a #2 or #3. But he is still one of our better guys, so I think he is also one that you don't trade. I hope Sproul gets in next game, I want to evaluate him. XO is ok, but he didn't show me too much that proves he deserves to keep that spot. He didn't screw anything up, he played solid. Bit we need more than solid play from the D. We need these young kids (Sproul, XO and Marchenko) to step up and prove they all belong here. We don't need 7 #4's - #7's we need top pairing. Which is why I'd love to see Holland get BOTH Fowler and Trouba...or maybe even Shattenkirk and one of the others. But IMO, and most agree, we need 2 top D-men. I like DD, and I think he should not be traded, but he is no better than #2 at the most.

Someone change the title to ...panthers.

It is way too early to talk fire sale, but at some point in the near future, Holland has to evaluate and trade off some of these "assets" before they lose too much more value. Which assets are beyond me though. Nyquist and Tatar could be near the top of that list... Honestly, I think if Z retired, E disappeared and Howard got traded,that would be more of a positive and set our ball rolling. Z and E should just call it.l

"Come on guys, it's only october" "It's not even December yet" "It's not even the All-star break" "Wait until Z is 100% and playoff Franzen shows up.....oh, nevermind."

Ch-ching

Every minute that ticks by, the price of Trouba and Fowler goes up. We'll be trading our next TWO 1st round picks to even get in the door. Mantha and Svechnikov to boot!

E, out. Sproul in. Z please sit until you're healthy. Ott back in please

Help us Trouba Won Fowler, you're our only hope. I know, that was bad, but basically we need both.

Well, LA needs a goalie. Quick is expected to be out 3-4 months with a severe groin pull. Trade them Howard for a pick. No need to retain salary because Quick makes more. They'd be saving money acquiring Howard. http://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2016/10/jonathan-quick-months.html BTW, we need a thread for a Trouba and Fowler watch. The off season thread is locked, but these are two very important pieces and one of them could be a Red Wing sooner or later.

Ott will not be waived. We're trying to make this team a destination that UFA'S consider one they'd like to play with. How would it look to other, larger impact UFA'S if they sign here, suffer one loss, then get waived? Sure, decisions will have to be made when Jurco is activated, but I'm hoping by then we have shed ourselves of a couple of players for that D upgrade we are in need of. But, with AA having to not pass thru waivers, when Jurco comes back, AA will return to GR.